Auto gift guide: Logitech G27 Racing Wheel, BMW 7 Series, Virtual GT Racing Simulator, Porsche Panamera

Tech and gears are an excellent combination and what better time to splurge than the holiday season? And by splurge we don’t mean $50 seat covers. We’re talking about the good stuff. Of course we couldn’t put together a wish list if it didn’t have true wishes on it, so bear with us as we move from attainable gifts to a level of giving that most only dream about.

Logitech G27 Racing Wheel - $350 

Most of us don’t get the (legal) opportunity to run our rides up to 200 km/h on the straightaways and spin through hairpin turns. You can take to Germany’s no-speed-limit Autobahn or buy a membership at a racing club, but that’s about the closest you’ll get to enjoying this activity, unless you’re playing a racing video game.

In fact, millions of development dollars have been poured into creating a virtual environment so real the only thing missing is passengers white-knuckling their seats and an authentic steering wheel.

Enter the Logitech G27 Racing Wheel. Compatible with Windows PCs and PlayStation consoles, the G27 is constructed with hand-stitched leather and cool silver metal, and includes a six-speed shifter and steel gas, brake and clutch pedals. The pedals are equipped with anti-slip technology, so when you’re mashing the go pedal the platform doesn’t skid away on you.

Logitech’s dual-motor force feedback helps recreate an authentic driving experience. Taking a corner too hard? You’ll probably feel the wheel give way as your tires start to slip. Over-steer and as your car’s rear-end gives way, you’ll feel the wheel fight against you as you counter-steer to regain control.

Mounting brackets ensure the wheel and shifter stay put when you’re turning the wheel its full 900 degrees, and steel ball bearings lend themselves to the unit’s longevity as you give ’er on the F1 circuit or NASCAR series. 

BMW 7 Series - $110,700

At the heart of BMW’s flagship vehicle is a 400-horsepower V8 engine that will take you from a dead stop to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds. That won’t win you many accolades at the drag strip but we’re talking about a luxury sedan that’s meant to chauffeur Canada’s elite from business meeting to airport. And for making the haul from downtown to the terminal, all that power won’t go to waste as you scoot along in the left-hand lane.

Not that you want to be chauffeured in a 750i sedan. Sitting in the driver’s seat is where it’s at. Plug your iPod or other MP3 player into the integrated USB port and control the player directly from the steering wheel-mounted controls. Or download tracks directly to the entertainment system’s hard drive. Standard Bluetooth integration in the BMW 750i allows your phone to sync with the car’s audio system, and voice recognition technology allows you to dial by name or number and access your phone book.

But the real techie treat is the optional $5,500 technology package available in the 750i. The package includes lane departure warning, active blind spot detection, automatic cruise control and a particularly cool night-vision feature with pedestrian detection.

Using an infrared camera in the front grill, this option makes it easier to see features of the road, including oncoming traffic. The pedestrian detection uses heat signatures to brightly light up pedestrians and even detect when they’re about to cross your path. If the system senses a problem it alerts the driver. 

Virtual GT Racing Simulator - US$18,000 to US$22,500

Want to jam on Gran Turismo and Need for Speed with something even better than the Logitech wheel? The Virtual GT Racing Simulator is the full monty.

The brakes, gas and clutch pedals offer true-to-life force feedback, but more importantly, Virtual GT’s programmers put your favourite track and even your own car into the system. Amplifier channels power four vibration transducers up to 240 watts, and a 140-watt subwoofer helps simulate vibration, gear shifts and bumps in the road, which means your body feels like it’s inside a race car.

The Virtual GT was first developed using a Sony PS2 but now employs a small form-factory PC. Using the PC means gamers can take advantage of the open-source software community that has built virtually every track in the world and customized several vehicles, all available for download directly into the simulator.

And finally: the system’s artificial intelligence adjusts to your skill level, so as you improve you’ll still find the races challenging. When you’re laying out this kind of coin you want to ensure it has some staying power. 

Porsche Panamera - $180,025

Porsche did what no one thought it would ever do: build a four-door sedan. And make no mistake, it’s all Porsche, inside and out. But you don’t want the base model, which starts at $115,000 for the S. Instead, starting at $155,000, the 4.8-litre 8-cylinder Turbo model looks the part of a swanky sedan. And you can option up your Panamera with all the goodies you need to maximize the appeal to neck craners, including a $4,280 aqua blue metallic factory paint job, a $3,255 refrigerator in the rear seat and, of course, what Panamera would be complete without the $12,050 ceramic-composite brake package?

The crown jewel of your optioned-out Panamera, however, is the $5,440 Burmester high-end surround sound system. This is the first time Burmester—known for its combination of pristine sound, technological innovation and classic design—has partnered with an auto manufacturer.

Sixteen speakers produce more than 1,000 watts of sound so rich you’ll feel as if you’re at a live performance.